I have began sketching again. Sketching everyday and ready-made objects around me. This time when I feel like drawing, rather than by a strict routine like I had last time. I feel like I am back to enjoying drawing and making interesting mark makings again.
Although it is not quite the same as the wipes and contacts through that object form of collecting. I feel it is taking on my personal work, just through a more expressive angle by myself recording these views of what is around me at that particular time. So instead of collecting something I have used, or something belonging to me, I am creating drawings to be a collection of particular views I have. Obviously they are personal to me as it is not only what I happen to see but also how I record these views.
I feel this is perhaps a different angle to the work I am creating with my wipes etc. However I feel like these could work with my work, I’m just not sure in what way yet, but I am going to carry on with these drawings and see where it takes me.
I have began sewing together a dress out of my used make-up wipes…well attempting to anyway. I did attempt a quickly sketch of a dress but it didn’t really help at all in aiding me with the construction of it. So I thought perhaps I should just dive in and attempt to make it. It only has the basic shape at the moment, but hopefully once I do some more stitching it will begin to take shape. I think I may have to add a zip or some buttons to it if I plan on it actually being worn, if not I have no idea how it would be put on! I will post some photos up soon.
I feel like my personal collections are really working, so I have decided to carry on with this by thinking of what other items I can collect which could push my collecting further whilst still portraying me.
Contact lenses.
These are something I use near enough every day to obviously help me see without the need of glasses. I felt this relates back to the make-up wipes in a way with perhaps the idea of vanity?? I hadn’t actually thought of my wipes like that until now I have never liked wearing my glasses so choose to wear contacts instead. I suppose in a way its but it is. They are my way of hiding away from showing everybody me. The wipes make-up gives me a mask and the contact lenses hide the fact I need help in seeing. I can see without having to have frames on my face, and no-one will know.
I began collecting the contact lens cases and originally stuck some to my studio wall as an initial way of displaying them. I then later sewed some together to see what worked and what didn’t. I quite liked the way they all sat nicely on top of each other when sewed together and although I only did this with a few I haven’t really experimented with them much since so is something I plan to do to see how they can be used for the best results. I think display will be an important factor with these. I could really play on the repeated shapes of them.
I have decided to keep exploring the displaying of my make-up wipes to see what works and what doesn’t I feel they have potential with my work as it has this really personal link.
I decided to go with the idea of attaching them together, similar to the hammock piece I made. I decided that with every wipe I had collected so far, to attach them to my studio wall one by one next to each other to create a massive square canvas of them. This I felt gave the illusion of one massive wipe, all these days combined together as one. I thought this worked well as one big piece as it showed every wipe but also more as a piece created from the wipes. This go mt thinking, maybe I need to start creating pieces through combining collections together.
Therefore, next with an old umbrella I took it apart to leave just the frame which would be used as my frame. I wanted to create my own umbrella using my wipes. The plan was to make the entire umbrella out of wipes. However when I thought about it, to contrast each panel it would surely be better to use another material to differentiate between each, to produce a stronger piece.
Looking at all of the items I had collected so far, I thought the receipts could be interesting to use. They are personal to me as they show my purchases, the same as the wipes being personal to me. I made each panel – four with wipes and four with receipts. The receipts I initially planned to stich them together. However due to the thin material of the paper I wasn’t sure how secure it would be so decided to use a glue gun instead as a more stable option. I stitched the 8 panels alternatively together and attached them to the frame to create this umbrella. I wasn’t sure how well it would actually work, however I was surprised at how well it didnt actually hold together and creatde quite an interesting piece. Turning used, waste items into something new and exciting!
After working with these wipes and receipts I have decided that my collections do really work when used to make something new through these personal links to me. For example I could make clothing which I could wear, or objects to do with me. I feel this would push the idea of showing myself through collecting and hopefully will be successful. I feel the wipes and receipts become far more interesting when used to actually create something and therefore the display is made far more intriguing.
I have decided to collect my used make-up wipes. Doing this has took my work a lot more personal than I first imagined but I feel like they could be interesting used in my work due to that personal link with them. I decided to explore different ways of displaying them and what effect that can have on how we view them. By doing this it allowed me to see what made them look more effective and hopefully give me ideas on how to next explore them.
I originally attached them to the wall individually letting them hang down to show each wipe as its own and hung some on the string attached across my space with pegs to symbolise a washing line. This created a a space where each wipe was displayed as its own although all looking very similar. This gave quite an enclosed feeling in a way as you looked up you were surrounded by the wipes.
I next stitched some together in rows of two which when hung from my space created a piece resembling a hammock. I felt that with my old wipes being attached like this is gave it something more. They weren’t now just wipes, they had been used to actually create something…it was like they had been recycled and turned into something new.
This reminded me of Alexandra Bircken’s work where she stitches together the gussets of tights. I feel this relates back to the abject feel towards my make-up wipes. Although these tights generally speaking are not a disgusting piece of material, the thought of someone having already worn them could bring that abject feeling similar to my make-up wipes, with the thought of the make-up wipes with that close contact with the skin.
